Adding hops to keg

[guitarguy6]

I brewed a 10G batch of beer that I split half into bottles and half into a keg about 2 weeks ago. I haven't tapped the keg yet but it is hooked up to Co2. I had a few bottles about 5-7 days ago and they had a really nice strong melon/tropical fruit aroma and taste that I noticed diminished quite a bit when I chilled and drank a few today. Now there's just a hint of melon with more of a grapefruit aroma and taste. I'm assuming the same has happened to the keg and was wondering if adding hops to it would help. I'm planning to have a bunch of friends over on Saturday and was saving the keg for then. I'm thinking of adding an ounce or 2 of Mosaic hops to the keg to bring back the lacking aroma and taste. Would this work? I was going to sanitize a nylon bag and weigh it down with some stainless steel washers or something like that.

Here's the recipe I made:

20 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 93.0 %
1 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 2 4.7 %
8.0 oz Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 3 2.3 %
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 22.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 5 3.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 8.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 4.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Mosaic (HBC 369) [12.25 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs
0.85 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 9 0.0 IBUs

On a side note I really like this recipe and am wondering if you guys have any suggestions I should try out next time I brew it.

 

[Komocabo]

Add more hops? I usually do 3oz oz at 90, 2oz at 30, 2oz at 10, 2oz at 5, 2oz at flame out, and another 2-4 for dry hop.

I like really hoppy IPAs (I'm a West Coast guy). The rest looks good though.

 

[jekeane]

You certainly can dry hop in the keg. Tie a piece of flavorless dental floss to the weighed down hop bag and then to your lid. you can retrieve it after the amount of time you wish to dry hop. you will likely get a pour or two with some hop gunk in it but after that as long as the keg isnt getting jostled you wont get much more hop matter.

 

[guitarguy6]

Thanks for the suggestions. Am I on the right track of adding Mosaic to dry hop in the keg?

 

[mblanks2]

Thanks for the suggestions. Am I on the right track of adding Mosaic to dry hop in the keg?

You could do a blend of 1oz Mosaic and .5 ounce Simcoe and Cascade each or just 1 ounce of Mosaic and 1 ounce of Cascade.

 

[guitarguy6]

I think I'll try 1oz cascade, 1oz mosaic, 0.5oz Simcoe. Thanks guys. I'll add a bit more aroma and whirlpool hops next time I brew this as well.

 

[pvpeacock]

I dry hop in the keg quite a bit, but it works best when the keg is room temperature, not cold. I now make hop tea in a French press at 170 degrees and pour it into the keg if it's already cold. Works great to add hop flavor and aroma

 

[chickypad]

I dry hop in the keg quite a bit, but it works best when the keg is room temperature, not cold. I now make hop tea in a French press at 170 degrees and pour it into the keg if it's already cold. Works great to add hop flavor and aroma

That's an interesting idea that I don't think I've heard before though I've heard folks boiling a hop tea to bring up the bitterness. I guess if you keep the temp 170 or lower should get mostly aroma/flavor. How long do you let it steep? I'd think it would also avoid the foaming that can occur adding hops to already carbonated beer - watch out for that OP if you go with the hops in a bag. It adds lots of nucleation sites and IME a full and carbonated keg can foam like an SOB so have the lid ready.

 

[guitarguy6]

I added 2oz cascade to the keg last night. I'll taste it tomorrow and see how it turns out.

 

[mblanks2]

I typically add about 2 ounces to my kegs and leave for the duration. Never had any issues with grassiness or other off flavors. Aroma jumps out too.